Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between business sales associates and sales associate/managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a business sales associate, becoming a sales associate/manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a business sales associate has an average salary of $59,485, which is higher than the $41,412 average annual salary of a sales associate/manager.
The top three skills for a business sales associate include business sales, product knowledge and customer satisfaction. The most important skills for a sales associate/manager are customer service, sales floor, and strong customer service.
| Business Sales Associate | Sales Associate/Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $59,485 | $41,412 |
| Hourly rate | $28.60 | $19.91 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 359,630 | 318,977 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 47 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A business sales associate's primary goal is to secure sales and reach sales targets. To make this possible, a business sales associate conducts market research and analyses to identify new business and client opportunities, generates leads, and develops sales strategies. They usually reach out to potential clients or representatives through calls or correspondence, arrange appointments, discuss product or service specifications, organize payment plans, and negotiate contracts, building positive business relationships along the way. Moreover, they produce progress reports and coordinate with managers regularly.
As the name entails, sales associates or associate managers are responsible for helping the store manager organize and run the retail stores. Their roles and responsibilities include ensuring that the store's goals are met by the sales team, hiring and training sales staff, and monitoring inventory. They are also expected to analyze consumer behavior, look for competitive products in the market, and communicate and evaluate clients' needs. To be qualified for this position, you should have experience as an assistant manager, organizational and leadership skills, and proficiency in MS Office.
Business sales associates and sales associate/managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Business Sales Associate | Sales Associate/Manager | |
| Average salary | $59,485 | $41,412 |
| Salary range | Between $42,000 And $84,000 | Between $30,000 And $55,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Salem, VA |
| Highest paying state | - | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | - | |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a business sales associate and a sales associate/manager in terms of educational background:
| Business Sales Associate | Sales Associate/Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi |
Here are the differences between business sales associates' and sales associate/managers' demographics:
| Business Sales Associate | Sales Associate/Manager | |
| Average age | 47 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 60.0% Female, 40.0% | Male, 44.2% Female, 55.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 5.2% White, 72.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 7.0% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 9% |